Well, technically it is already upon us with a rather spectacular game yesterday between the Broncos and the Panthers. Marcy will be pleased, Cam returned to 2015 heroics with a fine game. I'm ecstatic, my man Kelvin Benjamin returned from an ACL with a good game and 16 points. Whoever had CJ Anderson is thrilled - 20+ points in the opener.
For those that missed it, the last few weeks in USA-NFLland has been crazy. Our friend, 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick, chose to *sit* while the national anthem played a couple of weeks ago. That created a massive maelstrom of "Kaep hates America" articles and what-not - including Trump claiming Kaep should leave the greatest fucking country in the world. The QB explained his action as an open protest against the social inequalities and racism in America: Black Lives Matter. Except when sports people speak up - then the public/journalism/twitter response it is more like "shut up and play sport". Let's just say the response has been less than pleasant. Maybe black lives don't matter?
But it is important. And Kaep's stand is important. But it gets so sidetracked by the meta-arguments of "should be protest", "is he anti-america?", etc. The entire point of the protest, social injustice, is not discussed. It's so typical, and so sad.
Kaep is donating $1m to charities in the bay area.
In the opening game, Brandon Marshall of the Broncos took a knee during the anthem, adding his star power to the protest. So this happened: he lost a sponsorship deal from a military peak body. Because not honouring the flag means you hate America. Obs.
In the '70s people in the crowd at games chose not the stand during the anthem in protest of the Vietnam War. They were also anti-America. Also obs.
If you'd like to read more about how weird (bat-shit crazy) America can be:
http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/09/09/brandon-marshall-knee-national-anthem-broncos-panthers-nfl
http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/08/27/colin-kaepernick-national-anthem-san-francisco-49ers-nfl
I'm taking a knee with Kaep: Black Lives Matter. Locally, Aboriginal Lives Matter.
I wish everyone, except the anti-American Illuminators, a good week 1.
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